Chapter 13

thirteen

. . .

Walker

J esus fucking Christ. River didn't even see the rattler coiled and ready to strike behind her. It was just out of range, but if she moved, she'd likely end up bit.

I cocked my gun, and River's eyes flared. "Walker, w-wait?—"

Not waiting for her to finish, I squeezed the trigger, splitting the fucking snake in two.

She was curled in on herself, hands covering her face protectively, eyes shut tight. But as the echo of the gunshot faded, she carefully removed one hand and opened first one, then both of her eyes. Her fear morphed into relief that quickly turned into outrage.

"What the hell, Walker? You shot at me!"

"I did fucking not."

"Did too."

"Are you shot?"

She looked down, assessing herself. "No, but only because you missed."

I shook my head. "Darlin', I don't miss." Then I holstered my gun and gestured at the remains of the snake behind her. "Exhibit A."

"Fuck!" she shouted, jumping away.

"A little late for that, don't you think?"

"I guess that explains the horse," she muttered, gingerly standing up and rubbing at her ass.

"Are you okay?"

She wasn't okay, but I had to ask rather than assume, because if I just started taking care of her, she'd push back and pretend it was fine.

"I really thought you were going to kill me," she admitted as she climbed the hill.

I reached down and gave her a helping hand, but she winced, clearly favoring her shoulder.

"Why would I kill you? Are you serious?"

She stood a few feet away, dirty, sweaty, and so damn pretty my chest hurt. "I think it's a reasonable reaction to someone pointing a gun at you, Walker."

"You really have been gone too long. You know there are snakes out here. I'm pretty sure Texas is where Disney got the idea for that line."

"Uh, they write lots of lines. You might need to be more specific."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, come on, they only have one cowboy."

She wrinkled her nose, looking confused. "Mmm, nope, still not ringing a bell. You're just going to have to spit it out."

"You know the one, ‘There's a snake in my boot.'"

It wasn't until the first giggle escaped that I realized she'd been playing with me. "You little shit," I grumbled halfheartedly.

Dismounting, I held the reins and brought Blue closer to River, knowing I'd have to help my girl up on the horse.

"We should go back. I think I've had enough ranching for the day." She offered me a weak smile. "I forgot about the snakes. That was stupid."

"Bound to happen when you become a city slicker."

She laughed, but there was no humor to it. "I moved to a small town in Alaska. We barely have a CVS and don't even mention Target. I went without for so long."

"Ah, the two carts' worth of stuff you bought on your shopping trip makes so much sense now. C'mon, let's get you on this horse so we can head home."

I bent over and offered my threaded fingers for her to use as a step so she could easily mount. The site of my stab wound pulled and throbbed, reminding me I was overdoing it, but I'd be damned if I let her see my pain.

Once she was seated, I joined her, grunting against the sharp stab running through my side.

"You good?" I asked, taking the reins with one hand and wrapping my other arm around her waist to help keep her secure. That was my story, and I was sticking to it.

"Maybe? I don't know. My hip hurts in this position. Is there somewhere we can rest for a little while?"

Shit. She was tense, her shoulders hunched like she was protecting herself.

"Yeah, there's a cabin not far from here. We can go there."

All across our land, we'd put in first aid shelters. We got wild storms out here, and with the number of people who worked the ranch, we needed safe places for them to care for injuries, fucking snake bites, or to just hunker down and wait out dangerous weather. It'd been Cross's idea after we lost one of our best hands to a rattlesnake bite. Emergency services hadn't been able to get to him quick enough. Cross was convinced if he'd just been able to get to a dose of antivenom, we would have been able to save him.

This was the first time I'd needed to make use of one, though, and I had to admit I was thankful I had an option at the ready for her. I didn't love the idea of forcing her to suffer through the pain longer than absolutely necessary. We were looking at a two-hour ride at minimum with both of us on Blue. I couldn't willingly put her through that when we'd be at the cabin in ten minutes, maybe less.

It took seven minutes. The pain in my side was worse with every step Blue took, so I was thankful as fuck when I was able to dismount. I had to clench my teeth to keep from whimpering as I helped River down, but she noticed.

"Are you hurting?"

"Just a bit. I'll be fine."

"I knew this was a bad idea."

"Yeah, but I got to have your ass pressed up against me for that part of the ride, so I'd say it was worth a little pain."

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Don't you go trying to make lemonade out of lemons. I almost got bit by a snake, we're both hurt, and my horse abandoned me."

"Cross's horse."

"Like horse like rider," she muttered with so much bitterness I knew she was referring to something specific.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"Let me put Blue away, then we need to look at your side. Go on in. It should be unlocked."

I hobbled to the small stable and got my horse taken care of, a sweat breaking out on my brow as I hefted the saddle. Shit. I'd done a number on myself. I was gonna be spending alone time with the woman of my dreams, and I'd be useless to her if this kept up.

River

Walker came in as I was standing in front of the mirror in the small bathroom. I'd tugged my shorts down to inspect the damage on my side. My leg was a little scraped up, but most of the fall had been broken by my shoulder and hip. A bruise was already blossoming across my skin. God, I was going to be so sore.

I startled as Walker let out a low whistle, my eyes flying to find his in the mirror.

"That looks rough."

"Hades is a big horse. It was a long way down. I'm lucky nothing's broken."

He nodded, moving closer and gently running his fingers over the bruise. I shivered, but it had nothing to do with pain.

"I think we have some arnica in the first aid kit. I'll grab it for you so you can rub it in after you get out of the shower. Towels and stuff should be in there." He gestured with his chin to the little cabinet hanging over the toilet. "Not sure we've got any spare clothes in your size, but I'll see if I can rustle something up for you so you don't have to put your tore up shirt back on."

"Thanks, Walk. What about you? Is your side okay?"

With his signature cocky grin, he lifted his shirt, displaying washboard abs and a deep red scar on his side. The faint dots from where the stitches had gone in were still visible. But it wasn't reopened or bleeding, and the edges didn't seem inflamed.

"It's just tender. I'm fine. Don't worry, ladybug, I'm not gonna drop dead on you."

A relieved sigh escaped me before he shot me a wink and left.

My shower was equal parts wonderful and awful. The scrapes stung where the water hit, but the feeling of getting clean after being such a mess made up for it. As did the way the muscles in my back loosened under the heat and pressure of the water cascading on them. Thank God for rich cowboys, or this would've been a no water heater situation.

A dark gray shirt was folded and waiting for me on the counter. I toweled off, wincing as my muscles pulled and stretched. The next few days were going to suck, but at least I didn't have to ride back to the main house just yet.

I took a look at my bra and panties, and everything in me protested. Not just at putting on soiled clothes, but the twisting required to wrangle myself into them. I needed some time to work up to that task. The shirt slipped on easily, falling to mid-thigh and covering the important bits. Walker wouldn't mind.

He was barefoot and shirtless when I exited the bathroom, his cut physique on perfect display as he worked some kind of cream into his fresh scar.

My mouth went dry, and I'm pretty sure he caught my dumbfounded expression when he glanced up at me.

"See something you like, darlin'?"

I blinked and reached for the unaffected mask I usually reserved for his brother. "I was just trying to work out why you're the one with his shirt off when I'm the one who took a shower. I've heard of sympathy pains, but sympathy nudity? That seems like a stretch."

"You could join me. Take your shirt off, and then we'd be even."

I crossed my arms. "Ha ha. Very funny."

"Nothin' I haven't seen before," he taunted, reminding me of that time we'd thought it'd be a good idea to go skinny dipping. Still, I was a whole lot more grown now.

"That's not... this is... we—" This was impossible. He was like Cross, but the sweetest, most flirty, and caring version.

The Cross brothers were my catnip, and even if I hated the eldest, I just wanted to roll around in them and let them pet me. Was this what they called being a glutton for punishment?

"You're pretty when you blush, ladybug."

"And you're a lot smoother than I remember, Woody ."

"Come on over here, and I'll show you a woody you'll never forget."

I gaped and then laughed. "You did not just say that with a straight face, Walker Wayne."

"Sure did. But seriously, come over here so I can put this cream on your bruises. It'll help. Promise."

More than a little aware of my undergarment situation, or lack thereof, I shook my head and held out my hand. "Nuh-uh, I'll do it."

He rolled his eyes and slapped my hand away. "Stop being so stubborn. I'll behave myself."

"I'm... I'm not wearing anything under the shirt."

Heat blazed to life in his irises. "Is that so?" His lips twitched upward. "Now why is that?"

"They seemed too hard to put on. All the reaching and stretching."

"Which only proves my point. Turn around and face the wall. I promise I won't try to cop a feel or nothing."

What if I want you to?

Shit, where had that thought come from?

I turned away from him, my heart pounding as the anticipation of his touch built to nearly unbearable heights. With one hand, he slowly lifted the back of my borrowed T-shirt. The air felt overly cool against my exposed skin, but so far, Walker was true to his word. Other than a slight hitch in his breath, he didn't make any comment about what he'd just revealed.

His fingers were warm and tender as he massaged the arnica into my flesh, being so careful not to hurt me.

"This is going to be sore for a few days, darlin'," he whispered, his voice tight as his touch disappeared from my hip. "Where else do you hurt?"

I had to clear my throat before I could get my words out. "My shoulder."

He didn't hesitate, sliding that T-shirt up higher. "Is this okay? We'll have to take the shirt off so I can get to it."

Biting down on my lower lip, I nodded.

"Arms up, pretty girl."

I obeyed, my pulse picking up as he pulled my shirt over my head. He handed it to me, saying, "So you can cover up." But he stayed behind me, still behaving. For now, anyway. And to be honest, I wasn't sure I wanted him to be the good guy anymore.

"Your hip took the most damage, but let's make sure that shoulder is taken care of too." Goosebumps broke out across my whole body as he massaged my back and shoulder blade, then worked his fingers across my ribs, accidentally brushing the side of my breast as he ran them over my sensitive skin.

I moaned involuntarily, and he responded with a low hum.

"Make another sound like that, and I'll lose what little control I have left. I'm walking a thin line now that my hands are on you."

I should put a stop to this. I already had a complicated history with one brother; I didn't need to add the other one to my collection and make an even bigger mess out of things.

It had been weeks since my last encounter with Cross or Bishop, but that didn't diminish my attraction to them. I'd resolved to shut down my vagina's need to make nice with their dicks, but Walker and I had a connection. There was no doubt about it. We had chemistry in spades.

"Walker, I . . . Cross kissed me."

His fingers stilled, a soft curse rushing across my ear.

"And I kissed Bishop as well. I just really needed you to know that. I'm a fucking mess. You don't want to cross this line with me. I don't want to hurt you."

"I'm a big boy. I can handle a little healthy competition. I've been waiting in the wings for you a long time, River. Cross can either step up to the plate or fall back and let me take my shot." His lips feathered over my nape, driving me near to distraction.

"W-what about Bishop?" The question was little more than a breathy whisper, but I needed all my cards on the table before this went any further. I might be selfish, but I wasn't out to hurt anybody.

"I stood aside so you could have what you wanted once, and I lost you because of it. I'm never going to step aside again. If Bishop wants you, he'll have to take you from me."

I took a ragged breath before dropping the shirt. Then I leaned my head back against his chest and took his hands slowly moving them from where he'd rested them on my waist. I guided him around until he was cupping the weight of my breasts and whispered, "If you're going to touch me, Walker, then really do it."

I could feel his smirk against my skin. "Does this mean I don't have to behave anymore?"